[Photo: Supplied]

Netball Fiji has announced a 36-member 21&U Squad for the upcoming Rising Stars Fiji Tournament scheduled to be held at the Vodafone Arena in Suva from 19th to the 23rd of this month.

The squad will make up two teams, Fiji Blue and Fiji Black for the tournament.

The squad consists of Academy players playing in the two 21&U teams currently participating in the FinanceHub Super League competition, plus six athletes from abroad.

Head Coach Simone Nalatu will coach the Fiji Black team while specialist coach and former Fiji Pearls Head Coach Jen Brazil will lead the Fiji Blue team.

The coaches will be assisted by Iliseva Drasuna and Jioweli Vakamoce.

Netball Fiji CEO Vivian Koster says the Rising Stars tournament is an exciting addition to their calendar as it will provide invaluable match play for their squad.

He adds they are preparing for the Netball World Youth Cup Qualifiers in the Cook Islands in September and the Rising Stars tournament will allow Coach Nalatu to select the best players for the Qualifiers.

Koster says this will not be an easy task as their squad has been competing in the Super League and therefore have gelled as a group and have match fitness too.

She adds that in the long term, the Rising Stars tournament sets Fiji well for the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar in September 2025.